Life and Death
‹ 5 · Outline · 7 ›
6.Suicide and the voluntary ending of life
6a.Arguments permitting suicide
See also: Courage 4b
Marcus Tullius Cicero, Letters of CiceroVol. 9
- p. 158Reflects that Pompey and others perished ingloriously and Cato died nobly, suicide being in one's power when needed.read · scan
Plutarch, ThemistoclesVol. 12
- p. 33He sacrifices, feasts his friends and drinks bull's blood or poison, choosing death consistent with his earlier life.read · scan
Plutarch, DemosthenesVol. 12
- p. 214Demosthenes takes poison and dies at the altar rather than fall into Antipater's hands.read · scan
- p. 216Accounts of his sudden death by poison from a bracelet or ring.read · scan
Plutarch, Comparison of Demosthenes and CiceroVol. 12
- p. 263Cicero's pitiable murder as an old man in flight contrasts with Demosthenes's admirable self-chosen death by poison.read · scan
Plutarch, CaesarVol. 12
- p. 307–308Cato kills himself at Utica, denying Caesar the chance to save him.read · scan
Plutarch, AntonyVol. 12
- p. 336Cassius has himself killed by his freedman; Brutus slays himself.read · scan
- p. 377Cleopatra tests poisons on prisoners and animals to find the least painful death, deciding the asp's bite is gentlest.read · scan
- p. 386Cleopatra and her women die by their own hands in royal state, deceiving the guards.read · scan
- p. 387Accounts of Cleopatra's death by asp or poison, uncertain in detail; her age and reign are recorded.read · scan
Epictetus, The Golden Sayings of EpictetusVol. 2
- p. 122Young men ask to depart the body-chains, holding death no evil; Epictetus must dissuade them from rash departure.read · scan
- p. 123If food fails, you will depart; the open door signifies death.read · scan
- p. 131–132The door stands open: one may leave life like a child leaving a game when it becomes grievous.read · scan
Pliny the Younger, Letters of PlinyVol. 9
- p. 197Corellius Rufus starves himself to death rather than endure long agony from gout; suicide is deemed the most lamentable death.read · scan
- p. 197–199Corellius, refusing food for four days, resolutely ends his painful life; Pliny laments his death though he was old and infirm.read · scan
- p. 210Aristo deliberates whether to end his life if the illness is incurable, yet will wait for hope; weighing life and death shows a great mind.read · scan
- p. 236Silius Italicus starves himself to death, weary of life with an incurable cancer.read · scan
- p. 291Husband and wife choose suicide together in the lake rather than endure incurable disease.read · scan
Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations of Marcus AureliusVol. 2
- p. 230If men do not permit a good life, one may leave life like quitting a smoky house.read · scan
- p. 261If action is impossible, depart from life contentedly.read · scan
- p. 264–265Departing life when weary of vice is the next best voyage.read · scan
- p. 277If one cannot keep virtue, depart from life without passion, with simplicity and freedom, rather than cling to a degraded life.read · scan
The Story of the Volsungs and NiblungsVol. 49
- p. 270–271Signy goes merrily into the fire to die with Siggeir, her purpose accomplished.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, PurgatoryVol. 20
- p. 145–146Cato chose death in Utica for liberty.read · scan
Sir Thomas More, UtopiaVol. 36
- p. 207Priests urge those with incurable painful disease to end their lives willingly by starvation or sleep.read · scan
- p. 215They neither cast away life rashly nor shamefully cling to it when honour bids leave it.read · scan
Ambroise Paré, Journeys in Diverse PlacesVol. 38
- p. 9An old soldier mercy-kills the burned dying so they need not linger in misery.read · scan
John Milton, Paradise LostVol. 4
- p. 304Eve proposes cheating Death of posterity or seeking death by their own hands.read · scan
John Dryden, All for Love; or, The World Well LostVol. 18
- p. 29Antony, scorning the world, resolves to kill himself; Ventidius offers to die with him if need be.read · scan
- p. 94Antony, weary of life, resolves to die as a Roman rather than be taken by Caesar.read · scan
- p. 94Ventidius kills himself rather than kill Antony; Antony wounds himself and laments missing his death.read · scan
- p. 100–103Cleopatra resolves to die by aspic; finds death sweet compared to living captive; Antony's body is a lump of senseless clay.read · scan
- p. 103Cleopatra dies by the aspic, describing death as a gentle thief stealing us into slumber.read · scan
Voltaire, Letters on the EnglishVol. 34
- p. 130–132Hamlet ponders whether to bear life's ills or end them by dying, and death as sleep.read · scan
Thomas Gray, PoemsVol. 40
- p. 460–462The bard plunges to death rather than despair; the sun repairs itself each morning.read · scan
Thomas De Quincey, Levana and Our Ladies of SorrowVol. 27
- p. 322–324She is the suggestress of suicides and mother of lunacies.read · scan
Percy Bysshe Shelley, PoemsVol. 41
- p. 869–870Poet urges himself to die and join Adonais; death joins what life divides.read · scan
George Long, The Philosophy of AntoninusVol. 2
- p. 344–345Discusses Stoic suicide; Antoninus counsels waiting patiently for the end and not abridging one's usefulness, against Seneca's view of many exits from life.read · scan
6b.Arguments condemning suicide
Plato, PhaedoVol. 2
- p. 49–50The philosopher will be willing to die but not take his own life; death may be better than life.read · scan
- p. 50–51Cebes objects that a wise man should not gladly leave life, since the fool would rejoice at leaving.read · scan
Epictetus, The Golden Sayings of EpictetusVol. 2
- p. 122–123Do not depart rashly; wait for God's signal to release you from service, since life's time is short.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, HellVol. 20
- p. 53Argument tells of suicides who took their own lives, and souls transformed into trunks.read · scan
Sir Thomas More, UtopiaVol. 36
- p. 207–208Voluntary death without priestly approval is dishonored with unburied disposal.read · scan
William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of DenmarkVol. 46
- p. 100–102Death of fathers is common theme of reason; Hamlet wishes his flesh would melt, lamenting the canon against self-slaughter.read · scan
Sir Thomas Browne, Religio MediciVol. 3
- p. 277–278Browne fears death little yet will not perish for a ceremony or trifle, out of duty to God and self-preservation.read · scan
- p. 316–317Every man is his own executioner, cutting his own thread of life; Adam brought in death.read · scan
John Milton, Paradise LostVol. 4
- p. 304Adam refutes Eve's suicide plan, saying it shows overloved life and would not escape penalty.read · scan
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's ProgressVol. 15
- p. 118Christian thinks death preferable to the dungeon; Hopeful argues against suicide as killing body and soul.read · scan
Jean Racine, PhaedraVol. 26
- p. 140–141Phaedra starves and wishes to die rather than confess; suicide is said to offend the gods who gave life.read · scan
Immanuel Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of MoralsVol. 32
- p. 309Preserving life without love of it, from duty, has moral worth.read · scan
- p. 332Suicide from self-love contradicts itself as a universal law, since the feeling impelling to improve life would destroy it.read · scan
- p. 339–340Suicide to escape painful circumstances treats oneself as a means and is forbidden; one may not kill or mutilate oneself.read · scan
Percy Bysshe Shelley, The CenciVol. 18
- p. 306–309Beatrice contemplates death as punishment or reward, and fears self-murder is no escape from unexpiated consciousness.read · scan
6c.Suicide driven by grief, shame and love
See also: Madness 5b · Emotion 7a
Sophocles, Oedipus the KingVol. 8
- p. 245–246Jocasta hangs herself; the messenger reports her death.read · scan
Sophocles, AntigoneVol. 8
- p. 267–272Antigone chooses death, Ismene asks what life is worth without her; death as bond with the dead.read · scan
- p. 276–281Antigone laments going living to the tomb, unwed, without mourners, gazing on the sun for the last time.read · scan
- p. 284–287Antigone goes to death, taking leave of her city and gods.read · scan
- p. 294Antigone found hanged in the tomb, called death's marriage chamber; Polynices' corpse buried at last.read · scan
Euripides, HippolytusVol. 8
- p. 311–313Phaedra, sick with shame and desire, wishes she could die in one swift flame, unthinking and unknowing.read · scan
- p. 328–331Phaedra decides death is the only boon God leaves such as her.read · scan
- p. 334–335Phaedra resolves to die, and to make Hippolytus share her fate; the Chorus wishes to flee to a distant paradise.read · scan
- p. 336–337Phaedra hangs herself; the Chorus, the Nurse and Theseus react to her death.read · scan
- p. 338–340Phaedra's suicide by hanging, and life likened to a wild bird or flame swiftly gone.read · scan
Virgil, The AeneidVol. 13
- p. 167She loathes life and seeks death as her only relief, dissembling hope to her sister.read · scan
- p. 167Dido stabs herself on the pyre, preferring death to life unavenged; the court is filled with lament.read · scan
- p. 167Dido's lingering death, and Iris sent to cut the fatal hair and release her struggling soul.read · scan
- p. 406The queen, believing Turnus slain, loathes life and kills herself.read · scan
- p. 412Juturna, in despair at immortality, plunges into her stream seeking an end.read · scan
Plutarch, AntonyVol. 12
- p. 380Antony stabs himself after false news of Cleopatra's death; Eros kills himself rather than his master.read · scan
Pliny the Younger, Letters of PlinyVol. 9
- p. 240–242Arria meets death by the dagger; the son's death is concealed.read · scan
- p. 243Arria determined on suicide and strikes her head against the wall to prove she cannot be prevented.read · scan
Stories from the Thousand and One NightsVol. 16
- p. 313The climbers cast themselves to death, bewitched by the city's beauty.read · scan
Songs from the Elder EddaVol. 49
- p. 380–383Brynhild resolves on death, stabs herself and dies giving away her goods, refusing all entreaty to liveread · scan
- p. 386–387Brynhild asks that servants and goods follow her and Sigurd in death; her words wane and she endsread · scan
The Story of the Volsungs and NiblungsVol. 49
- p. 336Brynhild stabs herself and refuses all pleas to live, insisting death is her own will.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, HellVol. 20
- p. 54He sought refuge in death from scorn, becoming unjust toward himself.read · scan
Traditional BalladsVol. 40
- p. 59–60He takes his own life in despair.read · scan
- p. 62–64The bride stabs Annet; Thomas kills the bride and himself.read · scan
- p. 127–129Bewick is mortally wounded and Grahame kills himself on his sword; both fathers mourn the dead sons.read · scan
Ambroise Paré, Journeys in Diverse PlacesVol. 38
- p. 20–21Guyard's suicide by knife the night after his dismissal, discovered beside the surgeon in the morning.read · scan
Miguel de Cervantes, The History of Don Quixote of the Mancha, Part IVol. 14
- p. 102–103The lover, finding life loathsome, hastens his death without hope of future life.read · scan
- p. 249He goes to the wilds to end his life, sustained only by the goatherds' charity.read · scan
- p. 268He hates his life as his mortal enemy and resolved to end it in the deserts.read · scan
William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of DenmarkVol. 46
- p. 186–189The Queen narrates Ophelia's drowning amid flowers, heavy garments pulling her to muddy deathread · scan
Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, Philaster, or Love Lies A-BleedingVol. 47
- p. 717–719Bellario chooses the path that leads to his grave; Philaster's soul seems to search for a way out of the body.read · scan
- p. 721–723Arethusa is prepared to die at peace; Philaster would lose his life rather by will than force.read · scan
Jean Racine, PhaedraVol. 26
- p. 138–140Oenone accuses Phaedra of being in love with death and unreconciled to life.read · scan
- p. 189–191Oenone's suicide and Hippolytus's death reported.read · scan
- p. 194–196Phaedra dies of Medea's poison, death restoring purity to her eyes.read · scan
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, EgmontVol. 19
- p. 270He has tried drowning and now holds a stolen phial of poison, seeking death to end anguish.read · scan
- p. 322–323Clara chooses death by poison rather than live after Egmont's execution, saying death unites all.read · scan
- p. 323–324Brackenburg begs Clara to live; she, despairing, drinks the poison, unable to face the morning of Egmont's execution.read · scan
Robert Burns, Poems and SongsVol. 6
- p. 298–300Isabella wishes to resign life for oblivion after suicide.read · scan
Thomas Hood, PoemsVol. 41
- p. 905–908Poem on a suicide weary of life, whom death leaves beautiful and pure.read · scan
- p. 908–910The despairing woman throws herself into the river, escaping the world; a vigil for a dying woman; wish that night had borne away breath.read · scan
Edgar Allan Poe, The Poetic PrincipleVol. 28
- p. 387–389The woman despairing of life plunges into the river to escape the world, and is laid out in death.read · scan
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, PoemsVol. 42
- p. 1015–1016Father's suicide by falling in the pit; we are ashes and dustread · scan
6d.Attempted suicide prevented
See also: Emotion 7a
Songs from the Elder EddaVol. 49
- p. 417–418Gudrun tries to drown herself but cannot, and lives on.read · scan
The Story of the Volsungs and NiblungsVol. 49
- p. 353–354Atli's folk die in the fire; Gudrun tries to end her life in the sea but is borne ashore.read · scan
Benvenuto Cellini, The Autobiography of Benvenuto CelliniVol. 31
- p. 234–235In despair he tries to kill himself with a toppling pole but is flung back by an unseen power.read · scan
- p. 235–236The vision dissuades him from suicide by reminding him that the body was lent to him.read · scan
William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King LearVol. 46
- p. 291Gloucester renounces the world and seeks death; Edgar notes conceit may rob life's treasury.read · scan
- p. 291Gloucester wishes to die but is told his survival is a miracle; he resolves to bear affliction until it ends itself.read · scan
- p. 293–296Gloucester begs the gods to take his breath, but Edgar calls him to prayer and endurance.read · scan
Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Life Is a DreamVol. 26
- p. 7He has prayed for heaven to strike him dead but feared the hereafter that might be worse.read · scan
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's ProgressVol. 15
- p. 117The Giant argues that life is too bitter and they should end it with knife, halter or poison.read · scan
- p. 119–120Christian again inclined to make away with himself while Hopeful refuses.read · scan
Voltaire, Letters on the EnglishVol. 34
- p. 133Hamlet's dread of the undiscovered country after death restrains suicide; Dryden calls life a cheat sustained by hope.read · scan
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Tragedy of Faust, Part IVol. 19
- p. 35–36Faust resolves on suicide by poison, daring the leap into the abyss, until Easter bells halt him.read · scan
Alessandro Manzoni, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed)Vol. 21
- p. 344About to shoot himself, he recoils in dread at the thought of his corpse and what follows after death.read · scan
Lord Byron, ManfredVol. 18
- p. 415Manfred contemplates leaping to death; a power withholds him and makes it his fate to live.read · scan
- p. 417Manfred longs to be crushed by avalanches and to plunge from the cliff, while the hunter warns him.read · scan
- p. 417–419Manfred tries to leap from the cliff, is weary of life and thirsts for death, which the hunter forbids.read · scan
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